An Innocent Phantom
by Elchikaah Haly
Summary: January 28th, 2028. A month and half after the case of Clay's murder, Apollo has been murdered in the Space Center and Trucy is the prime suspect. While investigating, Phoenix will discover that not only humans are capable of murder, but also paranormal forces from his clinging, unforgettable past. Cover by Me.
1. A New Friday

_Super depressing story with our favorite lawyers. Beware of_ _ **character's death**_ _and odd paranormal stuff that completely makes no sense in the Ace Attorney world. Formerly a one-shot, but it was too long, so I split it._

 _The song that inspired me through this fic:_ _ **Ram – Clockwork Orange**_ _(and also the original soundtrack from the old 70s movie). Youtube it if you like the Trance/Electro genre and want a full listen of it._

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom owns them._

 **Chapter 1: A New Friday**

Date: January 31th 2028, 3:52 PM  
Place: Detention Center

"Daddy, please, you gotta believe me…"

"I-I know! I believe you! Don't worry, girl, it's going to be fine!"

There was a silence between the two before the young girl choked into more incessant sobs. It took her more than a minute before she managed few coherent words between her loud whimpers. "N-No it's not!" she furiously objected with a sad whine, clutching her trembling fists against the desk in front of her before going straight for the window with her palms. "Even if I'm innocent…"

"…nothing's going to bring _him_ back!"

As the man on the other side ran his hands through his black hair with anguish, he left out a weary and wretched long sigh. All the latest events in these days seemed to have aged him older than he already was, dark bags under his eyes being his new prominent features on his tired visage. Even some visible wrinkles had made their way on his forehead. Phoenix couldn't bear to see his dear daughter behind that unbreakable prison glass, maintaining her captive from her deserved freedom. Her recent arrest for murder had been so unfair, but it was nothing compared to the haunting sight of the bloodied corpse of her beloved friend upon her waking two days ago.

Her poor Polly…

Phoenix and Athena, from the other side of this thick glass, were both looking at the floor, eyes half-closed with some obvious regret for the fate of the young Trucy. The magician girl, gritting her teeth together, attempted to shut her mouth during her uncontrollable hiccups session. She needed to stay strong in these moments… No matter what occurred and what outcome will emerge from this, even after being accused of the murder of her companion… She was Trucy Wright, daughter of the best lawyer of the district, Phoenix Wright! Of course he was going to win this upcoming trial for her rightful non-guilty verdict!

However, she was unable to take a particular memory away.

That frightening reminiscence of that cold, dying voice of the murder victim himself, his last, forever uncompleted words that would persistently echo inside her mind…

 _T…Truc… cy… W…Wr…_

"Why…" Trucy wept, holding her tears with her slender fingers. "Why did Polly say my name before he… he… went to the other side? I never… I didn't…"

The young lawyer woman leaned closer to the glass with an empathetic smile. "Trucy, Apollo probably thought of great things about you before he left," Athena expressed with an attempt to lift up the mood.

Yet, what welcomed the two lawyers was a sudden garish whine from the other one. "No, no! It couldn't be!" Trucy cried with more tears as they went flying around when she boosted her head up. "I-I… clearly remember the eyes he was giving me just before he left…"

"Those were the eyes of a… an… unforgiving _phantom_!"

"No! Why? Why did he think I was the one who killed him? Why would I kill him? He was… like my big _brother_ to me!"

A long breath escaped Phoenix's lips as he leaned his sweating forehead against his palms. If only… she knew the truth. The man was almost glad he never told them about their blood relation. Trucy would probably have gone more than insane to know she had been falsely accused of the murder of her own older brother, the one she never had the chance to grow up with thanks to their mother's unusual choice of life.

Or maybe… Apollo wouldn't have suspected his own little sister as his murderer, if only he knew the truth too.

Nevertheless, why, on his way to his tomb, was he accusing her of all people? Phoenix nearly wished to request a channeling service from his old friend Maya in the mystical Kurain village. He'd be asking tons of questions to his late protégé, but he was afraid of what would result from that channeling session. What if Trucy was right about Apollo? What if… he will persist on accusing her if he was to be summoned in the world of living things? Even worse; what if he wanted… revenge?

Suddenly, something _cold_ was floating in the air.

"Miss Wright, we'll have to bring you back to your cell."

Turning back to the calling voice, Trucy shook with pleading eyes toward the guard behind her. Like a dark shadow submerging the atmosphere and slowly grabbing her arm, the man ordered her to get up. "Please, give me more time…" she murmured with more sniffles. "It's still so early…"

"I'm sorry, that's the rule," the guard looked at her before he started pulling her arm a little harder.

Having no other choice but to comply, Trucy unhurriedly stood on her feet with a lament. She couldn't bear to look at her father and her friend anymore as they gave a menacing glare to the guard for the manner he treated her. However, Trucy managed a barely audible whisper when she disappeared in the detention center deep corridors, her back facing them.

"Please Daddy… Save Polly…"

* * *

( _Few days earlier…_ )

Date: January 28th 2028, 8:23 AM  
Place: Wright Anything Agency, Main Office

"Hey there, Pollo. How are you doing?"

The young brown haired lawyer looked up to the composed greeting with some weary eyes, his sight still showing visible traces of the slumber that still hadn't left him completely. Behind all these papers scattered over his desk and the laptop he had to work with, Apollo presented a weak smile to his boss. "Hi Mr. Wright," the boy kindly greeted back. "I'm fine, thanks. How about you?"

When a chuckle escaped the older man's lips once the younger one had finished his simple, generic response, Apollo raised an eyebrow with a perplexed expression. "I've been doing great, in fact," Phoenix revealed with a broader smile.

" _There's something off about him, I know it_. _He's never up wide awake at this time in the morning_ ," Apollo thought with an obvious discomfort before he returned his focus back on his paperwork.

"By the way, I've cleaned the toilet for you and Athena," Phoenix added with a laugh. "I've even been rubbing the rest of the bathroom clean. There won't be any need for more cleaning the rest of the day!"

Nearly causing the papers to fly around by the sudden jump he made from his boss's reveal, Apollo almost coughed the coffee he was bringing close to his mouth. He quickly wiped his mouth with a hand from all the small coffee drips that escaped his lips, moping when he noticed some found their way on the papers and the laptop. He was right; something was definitely off about Mr. Wright today.

"Don't tell me you woke up earlier for this!?" the young lawyer in red loudly mumbled with silly tremors, trying to tone down his proud "Chords of Steel".

Few more giggles evaded from Phoenix's grinning lips. "Oh, not only I woke up earlier for this, but I'm giving you a day off. Paid too."

For a dozen seconds, the younger man was standing still. He opened his mouth trying to protest against the sudden gift his boss was offering him, but unfortunately, no words were able to get out from his throat as he inhaled the air around. Everything felt so warm, yet so chill. Apollo never expected to start his day like this. Since the last launch to space of his good old mentor-like friend, Mr. Solomon Starbuck, his days were always tediously lived. He was doing his job, having cases with his co-workers and living his dull life in his apartment with Mikeko, a stray Calico cat he had saved from the streets as his only remaining true companion outside his job.

And there he was, virtually complaining to his boss for giving him a paid day off.

"Huh, are you all right, Mr. Wright?" Apollo questioned the man's sanity.

Mr. Wright nearly burst out laughing if he wouldn't be holding his mouth shut with his hands. It was like he was mocking the confused boy. "Oh, not only I'm perfectly all right," the boss giggled, giving a scornful pat on Apollo's hair, messing his two hair antennas. "But I'm giving off to everyone else too. You'll all enjoy your paid day off with Trucy and Athena."

"That's right!" a bright, girly voice interrupted the intimate moment between the two men. Right after, with confetti flying around the office, Trucy appeared out of nowhere, holding her hat in one hand and her small magic wand in the other. "We're going to have fun together, Polly!" she ecstatically exclaimed.

Dazed from the shock, Apollo aimlessly shook his head around, only to be clutched by the shoulders with more hands from behind, much to his surprise. "And don't forget about me!" another flashy feminine voice shout out with a louder joy before she went to give the young man a big hug.

Tangled between steady but slender arms, Apollo arduously turned around, discovering the face of his lawyer partner, Athena, very close to his own. "A-A-Athena? Trucy!?" the boy groaned, stunned as the other girl swiftly wrapped her arms around him too, tighter than ever. "What the… Are you b-both p-part of Mr. Wright's plan too?"

To this, Trucy gave a friendly pinch on Apollo's reddened cheeks. "Of course! We're coming with you, Polly!" the younger girl squealed with few childish jumps. "We're gonna make this day the best day ever!"

"Trucy's correct! We're gonna accompany you wherever you're going so you won't be alone!"

Relieved when the girls finally let him go from their grasps, Apollo took few seconds to bring his breath back to normal. "W-W-What? B-But… What about the papers I was working on?" the poor messed boy blurted out. Everything seemed to have been shoved against his face so fast he was unable to cluster his thoughts together.

Calm as ever, Phoenix stood back to straighten his sole male pupil back to shape. "Don't worry about the paperwork, Apollo," the older man exposed, landing his hands on his shoulders like he was soothing his composure. "I'll be completing that for you. And aside, you need to change your ideas."

A sudden jolt overtook Apollo. "Needing to change… ideas? W-What are you talking about, Mr. Wright? Why do I need to change my ideas?" the boy interrogated like a cornered one.

"Oh, just like that," Phoenix chuckled. "You've been working so hard since last month, so I thought you'd enjoy some days off, you deserve it."

… There…! Right when Mr. Wright mentioned " _last month_ "…

… Apollo's bracelet reacted. The slight squeeze initiated a weak pain around his wrist, instinctively causing him to grab his jewel piece.

When a frown and a stricter look were made visible on Apollo's expression, the sudden change of mood prompted Phoenix to give another laxer pat on his student with a small snicker. "Hm, so I can't really hide anything from you, can I?" the boss declared with his now delicate smile. "You know something's up, don't you?"

Awkwardly, Apollo led a hand behind his head, scratching it with some discomfiture. "Well, to tell the truth, yeah, and I'd like to know what's up…" he expressed with a deeper scowl.

A gasp came from the little magician's direction. "Polly!" Trucy called, mortified. "Daddy's giving you a day off! Yo-"

"Trucy!" Athena shouted with a jump, immediately covering Trucy's mouth with her own hands. When she realized her very loud tone, she slightly bent down with a worried look and a lower voice. "Let the boss say it."

Stumped, Apollo gave everyone a glare. What did he do to have everyone know of something he wasn't aware of in this agency? What was everyone hiding from him? His curiosity was killing him; he felt left out in this whole process of being part of this agency. After a long, almost regretful sigh, Phoenix finally spoke. "I've seen it. You've been working to the bones to forget about the events from last month, haven't you?"

"About _him_ ," Phoenix added.

When he heard the mention of _him_ , Apollo froze with a dead silence that filled the room along. No one dared to speak for few seconds because all knew exactly who Mr. Wright was speaking about, but the center of the attention himself succeeded to break the unusual quietness. Only a straight, stern reply was heard from him with a serious glare forming on his expression.

"No, I haven't."

Mysteriously, Apollo's orbits went dimly wider when he perceived one of Phoenix's hands going after his pocket. He could have sworn he saw a faint green light beneath it. No, it must be his imagination, but seeing the abnormal, compassionate eyes with the gentle smile his boss was obstinately giving him, there was something Mr. Wright was hiding from him.

Apollo felt it; Phoenix pitied him, and he wasn't really feeling too comfortable about it.

"I'm fine," the young brunette stated with an obvious emotional struggle.

"You're lying, Apollo…" the boss merely alleged.

"Mr. Wright, please! Let it go. I'm fine, damnit!"

Apollo's last saying contained a faded tone of annoyance and frustration when his hands formed into two firm fists. Trucy and Athena gulped from their friend's move, but Phoenix didn't flinch at his pupil's anger.

"I'm still giving you off," Phoenix persisted, this time with a more solemn sulk. "C'mon, Pollo, don't tell me you can't enjoy a paid day off? It's Friday; everyone wants their Friday off."

"I'm not _everyone_ , Mr. Wright…"

Thankfully, the youngest one in place decided to save the mood. If no one was to act now, the darkness will completely fill the atmosphere, and it was definitely not the best thing on a sunny Friday. "Polly, c'mon!" Trucy cheerfully squeaked. "I'm going to pay for all your activities today! I'll even pay your lunch and dinner!"

Stunned by the new reveal from the magician, Apollo slightly shook his head before he turned to her. Seeing the young girl speaking with so much innocence nearly melt his heart with a warm feeling. Nostalgically, he wished he was as carefree and jolly as her.

It was like… he could see the eyes of his late best friend Clay in her. How similar both were in their naiveté, their childish but smart maturity, their intelligence… How he missed Clay… That childhood buddy, that old brother…

After a relieving sigh and after letting his shoulders loosen up, Apollo finally smiled back at everyone.

"All right, let's have fun today," the young man gave up the fight. He wasn't going to win against three anyway, and aside, Mr. Wright might be right. He really needed to put his thoughts toward a new greater direction. This will definitely do well on him.

Not surprisingly, everyone cheered on his final decision before all went for a warm group hug with Apollo in the middle, gasping for air.

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_ _: Yes, Apollo actually has a Calico cat named Mikeko in the AA5 sound drama thing._


	2. The Blackout

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom owns them._

 **Chapter 2: The Blackout**

Date: January 28th 2028, 4:58 PM  
Place: Cosmos Space Center, Boarding Lounge

At moments, he desired to be left alone in this room, but he was actually enjoying the company he was _forcefully_ given. Grateful for having such friendly people to boost his confidence after losing a loved one, he suddenly felt blessed with his life.

At first, the two girls accompanying him had been giving him a stunned glare when he had chosen to come in this place before they'd go for dinner somewhere. Yes, right in this very place, right where his old friend had been murdered, right before Clay got to live his so cherished life dream. Maybe this was the best way to finally release his final grief over his death. Thus the two girls agreed to come here with him.

After all, Athena herself had fully accepted to return to the same place where her own mother had left this world too, by the same killer no less. Nevertheless, she stayed strong for him, and Apollo must stay strong for her too, especially after what he had done to her when his own friend was gone. She had moved on, and he needed to move on as well.

When Athena had decided to go for a visit to her past lounge, basically her old, comfy home, Apollo came to this boarding lounge. How funny, there were still some very faint traces of the white outline on the floor where his friend's body slumbered down like a lifeless doll. The management didn't even repair that bullet hole in the wide screen that attracted so many pleasing eyes from the visitors. Extraordinarily, when looking from a normal person's point of view, that hole looked like a spider's web on the looping background video. Guess the center was really lacking funds, or they thought leaving remnants of a murder would attract more curious tourists (which apparently was effective).

Not too far from him, Trucy was laying her eyes on all the peculiar objects standing out in the room, mainly that zero gravity swinging, rolling bench hanging to the ceiling. Clenching after Apollo's sleeve with a pleading glance like a child, she pulled his arms closer to her, ordering him to look up. "Polly, we need to try that thing!" she exclaimed with a beaming enthusiasm.

A little exhausted, Apollo shook his head with a sigh. "You can't even stand a simple ride in our last attraction park trip," he informed. There was a small tone of mockery in his words, and Trucy crossed her arms in protest.

"Duh! But that was from the past!" Trucy grinned back at him. "I'm a bigger girl now, I can handle anything!"

"That was barely six months ago…" Apollo objected, letting his shoulders fall from his weariness over his friend's pettiness. "I don't think you can change that much in two seasons."

"You need to learn more about girls, Polly!" the teen talked back at him, tilting with her magician hat on the side like a shining star before her audience. "Perhaps you need a new girlfriend!"

Upon getting that comment, Apollo slightly backed away from his partner, blinking several times without words. "W-What?" he tore the silence. "D-D-Don't bring my personal life into this!"

A giggle broke away from the magic girl as she tried to cover her mouth. Apollo sighed again from his co-worker's immaturity, but in reality, he had never felt so amused in a while. Sometimes, he wished she was part of his non-existing family. Maybe he wouldn't feel that lonely, and having her company filled the emptiness from Clay's permanent absence.

Apollo gently laughed with her.

"You know," the man started with a nostalgic feeling in mind. "I heard strange events are happening here since Clay's death…"

Trucy made a sudden jump from the reveal with a gulp. She aimlessly turned her head around to check for paranormal activities that Apollo could be speaking of. "Huh? What kind of events?" she asked with a little fear in her voice, approaching her friend closer than necessary. Pitying on the girl, Apollo kindly patted on her shoulder.

"Heh, just silly rumors," he answered, trying to reassure his companion. "Like people hearing steps behind them when no one else is around, hearing knocks on the doors when some night crews come in this room, seeing a light flicker in the middle of the room at night, feeling a freezing wind nearby when all doors are closed and…"

"Ark! D-D-Don't say more!" Trucy interrupted with a grunt, clutching harder onto Apollo, now obviously trembling. Hard goosebumps were covering all parts of her shivering body which even the young man could feel. She was terrified of ghosts and anything involving the afterlife. To this, her friend let out another single chuckle with a stroke on her back.

"Well, like I said, they're probably just silly rumors," Apollo humbly persevered. "The center needs money and, well, when people learn of the ghost of the murdered haunting this place, interested visitors will come in this very place just to get a look at the spirit. That's kind of… degrading, for him, hehe…"

Carefully listening to the young lawyer, Trucy appeased her nerves down until they were finally tame. However, instead of leaving Apollo from her grasps, she went after his arm tighter, nearly hugging it like a big teddy bear. The lawyer shuddered to her abrupt, yet soft move.

"You miss Clay, don't you, Polly?"

Hearing the name affected the pace of his pulse faster within his chest. These incessant pumping from his heart was virtually hurting against his lungs, but soon, his spirit lifted itself lighter when he looked into the girl's eyes. He could see the tiny, scarcely visible tears that were reflecting tiny glitters.

Then he felt his own eyes watering, barely. Soon, a sniffle escaped his throat.

"Yeah, I m-miss him," he lightly sobbed, trying to contain himself.

Apollo finally returned a hug to Trucy, much to her joy. She slowly looked up to him, unveiling her shining eyes, and the young man glanced back at her with a smile. "I'm sure he's in a better place, watching over you," Trucy expressed before both let themselves go.

"I'm sure too," Apollo agreed before a soft laugh came out from his lips. "You know, that's kinda funny. When we were young, Clay and I… We'd always play tricks by knocking on neighbors' doors and quickly leaving incognito. We'd also get behind random people and make loud step sounds, and when they turned around to see who it was, we'd turn around too so they never caught on us, just to mess with them. It was kind of mean, but… we had so much laughs together!"

"And now that I think about it, that's exactly what the 'ghost' of this place is doing according to the rumors…"

"Well, duh, all ghosts do that!" Trucy exclaimed.

"Ha, ha, you must be r-"

A very loud, deep low buzz sound was resonating through the room when all light and fans died down at the same time. Trucy shrieked with a high pitched yelp, trying to scan her way in the room. However, to her dismay, Apollo had moved around as well, confused with the event. Was there a scheduled blackout today? Why in the middle of the afternoon? Instinctively, he immediately went after the only window of the room where the bright light from the sunny day nearly blinded him in this virtually totally dark room. He wondered why the generators weren't turning on.

"What the… What's going on!?" Apollo questioned out loud, blindly searching for the girl as he returned back into the darkness of the room. "Trucy!"

"Hey! I haven't done anything!" the girl spoke back, objecting to his tone that sounded, to her, like he was pointing at her for the blackout.

"Huh, I know that!" the young man cried back, scratching the back of his head with embarrassment from his brash and harsh voice. Sometimes he wished he could lower his chords of steel at right times. "But what's with the blackout? It's not like there's a storm outside or any bombing…"

Trucy made a jump from Apollo's last statement. "I hope not!" she conveyed with a mixture of humor. "We've had enough of bombings! Aren't there any backing generators in this place? I mean, it's the super BIG space center!"

"Well, I suppose, but if there were, the blackout wouldn't last that long," Apollo revealed as he managed to approach Trucy, seeing her now closer by the window. He pointed at one of the smaller door leading to the middle room of the floor. "This door over there should be working even without current, so stay close to me, Truce! We should get out of here."

When Apollo reached the young teen, he gently snatched her by the arm before leading her to the way out. Her steps followed behind.

Suddenly, while Apollo's hand was still clutching to her arm, a freezing, strong breeze stopped them from their track. It was so cold Trucy let out a small shriek. "Ack!" she began, intensely shaking as they walked to the door. "What was th-"

Trucy didn't even have the time to end her sentence when a loud thud sound assaulted her hard on the back of her head from behind, rendering her unconscious. As she fell down on the ground with a faint moan before she hit the floor, Apollo steadily turned around, losing her from his grasps. Panicked, he shouted after her.

"Trucy! Wh-"

Unfortunately, an invisible, powerful wind brutally pushed him out of her way, throwing him on the floor flat on his back before he could even reach for the girl completely out cold. His back hit the ground so hard Apollo yelled with a horrendous pain that could be felt on his entire spine. The great internal injury provoked him to heavily collapse back after a little bounce, his head making another hard contact on the floor.

What… exactly had pushed him and Trucy to the ground?

Feeling the adrenaline rushing inside, Apollo achieved to gradually move his head up with a huge headache. Laying a hand on his sore forehead, he looked around to see nothing but Trucy few meters away before him. Wait a minute, how far had he been sent flying to the ground? No normal human could push him that far with a single strike!

Unless the one who did this wasn't… human…

Just when he thrived to pull himself in a sitting position, he heard a clicking sound in the dark. Then, along the noise, a small fire flickered right in front of him. Apollo noticed a floating lighter in the dark.

Behind the light, someone stood, and it was definitely not Trucy.

It was something… much darker… barely human.

The time had stopped for him when the silhouette shifted into a sharper form. Utterly frightened, Apollo immediately recognized it. Before calling it, he managed a huge gulp. He nearly choked from his nervousness.

"C-Clay!?"


	3. Welcome Back, Apollo

_This chapter is the reason I hesitated to post this fic because I feel like it's too cheesy. And it's not the end._

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom owns them._

 **Chapter 3: Welcome back, Apollo**

Date: January 28th 2028, 5:12 PM  
Place: Cosmos Space Center, Boarding Lounge

"C-Clay!?"

The name, the call. It came out so unnaturally, so unusually he wasn't sure if he said it himself. There was an unclear tone of sadness and confusion, yet there was happiness in his voice. How was that possible? No, last month… what about the bombings, the murder, the killer, the court case?

Trying to recover himself back into a better state of mind, Apollo shook his head before he blinked with his lids several times. After rubbing them for few seconds, he looked up again to see if the presence was gone, but... the thing, _Clay_ , was still there, motionless and holding that bright lighter... Unable to look back at it, Apollo dropped his sight. The cold breeze coming from his old friend's direction nearly felt warm as it reached Apollo's cheeks, feeling the air as it gently flowed through his waving hair.

How could there be wind inside this closed room? The fans weren't working, the air conditioner was off! The current was still not back!

Did the apparition… create this blackout and this chilling wind?

Gathering all his courage to glance back at the entity, Apollo could finally confirm… it was really _him_.

Clay Terran, his best friend, the very same one coldly murdered last month.

However, he looked somehow… very different. Apollo's memories recalled his companion as a cheerful young man full of life, always beaming with a natural light to brighten the mood of people around, always encouraging acquaintances and strangers alike into pursuing their dreams, their lives. But the Clay before him…

… He appeared completely devoid of emotion. Breathless and motionless like a dead specter, Clay's empty, pale pupils were sunk low, directly setting them on the only conscious living thing present. Yet, there was definitely some sorrow in them.

A lasting minute passed. Clay never breathed once. Clay never blinked once. Clay never moved once. The only things moving on him were his waving, messed hair and his tattered, dusted clothes, the same suit he'd always wear when they went out together after the job, proudly showing his GYAXA signature and letting everyone know he was part of the Space Center. His costume had lost its past glorious charm and it now represented the cold darkness surrounding the deceased apparition of the astronaut.

Clay slowly moved forward, approaching Apollo but never once his feet touched the floor…

When Clay moved the lighter closer to his face, Apollo had to retain himself to not let out a frightened scream when he perceived every details on his friend's dark visage.

That wasn't the face of a human, but… a sad ghost barren of life. His almost completely dark orbits were the most striking features on his inert expression. His permanent pale gray pupils completely lost their former perky blue colors. His eyes irises were now only a tiny, barely visible pale red, like an unsaturated pink. His slightly long, pointy hair were flying around like they were the source of the breeze in the room.

The nearer his face was to the lighter, the more translucent his stained skin appeared, revealing the darkness through him and even parts of what looked like flesh and bones hiding beneath.

Shaking through all his body parts, Apollo's hands found their way to the sides of his head, tangled between everything occurring around. He managed to mutter few trembling words. "N-No, that's impossible… I'm dreaming… C-Clay! Are you really…"

Unpredictably, the gloomy specter replied back. His voice was so dim, soft and emotionless like the wind. He sounded so different from his old sparkling friend.

" _A… po…llo…_ " Clay murmured. Despite the very low tone, Apollo perfectly heard him. A tear emerged from an eye when he caught the name.

The tone Clay was using didn't have a sheer of glee, not even a small one.

" _D… Do y… you… remember… this scene…?_ " the ghost continued, outwardly giving a special attention on the lighter he was holding as he brought it closer to his living friend.

Apollo narrowed his eyebrows. What was Clay speaking about? Only a small "Huh?" escaped his unsteady lips.

"… _Apollo… Why…?_ "

And there Apollo had thought Clay would have been happy to see him back, but the nature the spirit's words were spoken… It was like… Clay was accusing him of something.

"Clay!?" Apollo desperately called again, trying to bring his friend back to sanity.

This time, the ghost's tone was louder and faster. " _Why did… you kill me… Apollo?_ "

"W-What?!"

 _Kill… me_? Upon hearing these painful words, more shines discreetly made their apparition over Apollo's pupils, contracting his brows with a pure confusion and an absolute fear from what his friend was to reveal. His heart tightened into a solid, lasting knot. What happened to Clay? Why that question? He couldn't believe this! And to his horror, it seemed there was a feeble smile on Clay's lips as the specter watched his living friend fluttering like a cornered, scared animal. Apollo's misery brought satisfaction on the phantom.

" _You killed me, Apollo… You murdered me, you threw my life away from the living world like an old rotting waste…_ "

When further tears tried to escape his piercing eyes, shutting his lids as an attempt to stop them, Apollo's hands formed into fists to look back at his friend with bravery. He slowly stood back on his feet, trying to soften the impact over his painful spine injury. Suddenly, this strange, paranormal situation he was unwillingly facing was becoming more and more a casual friend-to-friend protest like everything was real. He couldn't believe this situation was real, could he? He must be dreaming! Ghosts didn't exist, after all! These rumors from the workers, they were simply that: silly rumors!

Trying to get back his chords of steel in this "dream", he shouted back at the dead one. "C-Clay?! What are you talking about? I've never killed anyone and even less y-"

" _What… had gotten you?_ " the ghost interrupted with his monotone voice. " _You killed me when I was going to live my childhood dream. You killed me when I was going to space. You killed me when I was your best friend…_ "

His fingers shivering like delicate, quivering leaves, Apollo frenetically glared at them as the sweat poured nervously over his forehead over Clay's empty, yet gloomy voice. He was like a psychotic child speaking to him with irrational thoughts.

"Y… You're insane…" the living one whispered out, wanting to hide away from the confused spirit.

The ghost wouldn't flinch at his friend's despair. " _I was going to space for real after that fake mission. I was going to fulfill my dream. So… why, Apollo…?_ "

" _That… was so unfair of you… I… went as far as celebrating for you when you fulfill your dream of becoming a full pledged lawyer, but you… You rewarded me with… death instead. Look at me. I'm not the happy, living astronaut anymore. I look so scary, so dead. N… Now… I'm just… an innocent phantom…_ "

" _I miss… the old… you… so much…_ "

The courage rushing back in his veins, with a step forward, Apollo dejectedly argued against his friend. "Clay, it's still me, the good old Apollo!" the young man desperately recoiled.

While listening to the living human, another wicked smile escaped Clay's lips. " _Yet, I clearly saw you, right here, in this boarding lounge, with the lighter and the knife you were holding..._ "

…

What… did Clay just mention?

" _I still remember… you smiled as you sank the knife into me, right here…_ "

When Apollo turned his eyes toward his deceased companion, an unbearable spectacle showed itself before him. As Clay rested a hand close to his chest, a dreadful, familiar knife appeared, its pointing blade deeply plunged inside what would have been his flesh.

Exactly where the knife was found on him when he had left this world…

There was blood pouring out from the newly released wound on the ghost's projection. A _lot_ of it. This time, Clay glared into Apollo's sight, squinting with a saddened frown, his teeth clenching from the despair. Clay's grey pupils suddenly shined back to their original lively cyan when tears escaped his orbits, gently reflecting the glittering sparkles from his lighter.

Stunned, Apollo realized what really had happened in December.

Suddenly, landing his palms hard on the floor, crouching himself down and trembling from all limbs, the young attorney looked down, his eyes narrowing into complete despair. It was too late: the deed had been done already, last month, in this very place, and Clay's madness over his murder will be very hard to turn around.

Especially when Clay's assassin was really… Apollo's very image.

So that was it. The real Phantom, that international spy… That twisted, emotionless man who could mimic every moves and personalities of others… He had impersonated… Apollo's being to murder his best friend.

… Why exactly? What would the spy gain from this barbaric, cruel move? Why shattering the precious friendship of two best friends beyond the living world when the murderer had already planned to take one away from the other? Wasn't murder enough to completely ruin the link between them?

" _It… hurt so much, Apollo,_ " the dead specter sobbed, using a hand to wipe away the illusory tears that were soon mixed with the blood flowing as they fell together on his chest. " _But you were still smiling as I fell crying with pain. You were watching me until I drew my last breath, never stopping that evil smile…_ "

However Apollo refused to budge from his space. He must reason Clay! He won't let his friend be forever perturbed by the circumstance of his death! Clay had the right to know the truth! This time, he took up all his determination to express himself.

"C-Clay, I swear on your grave!" Apollo started out, not ever leaving his eyes away from his friend. "The one you saw was not me! It was an international spy using a mask of myself, mimicking me! That spy's now behind the bars and is on death row! We caught him now! You, and heck, even Metis, can rest in peace now!"

Unfortunately, when he heard the soft, hysterical giggle from the ghost, Apollo immediately knew his words won't have any effect on his friend. Clay wouldn't ever listen to reason because his mind was already lost. Even his blue eyes died back into the dull pale grey, revealing his clear irrationality.

Was Clay going to live into insanity for… eternity?

" _A… spy? No, Apollo, that's too… far-fetched,_ " the hollow voice whistled like a soft breeze, slowly shaking his head left and right in a stubborn manner.

Seeing his words will get him absolutely nowhere, Apollo began snivelling. He will be unable to save Clay from his madness, and as his best friend, he truly believed he had failed his life duty.

"B-But it's the truth…" the man wept, wiping his new tears away.

A sudden change of mood made its apparition on Clay's aura. This time, on the ghost came back a scary, deadly grin, provoking Apollo to jolt.

" _The truth, huh? That's a… noble cause..._ "

…

The very statement had struck Apollo on his very heart, so much he winced at the pain, grabbing his chest like he was having a cardiac arrest. Why was Clay doing this? It was like Clay was messing with him on purpose, to hurt the very core of his own soul to completely litter with his emotions.

After all, it was " _Apollo_ " who killed him, and it seemed the vengeful phantom was condemned to forever fall for this lie. Regardless of what people kept saying, maybe revenge was a sweet, relieving act, and Clay was believing that fact.

No wonder, Apollo would feel vengeful too, if he was to be innocently murdered.

If he ever was…

" _Yes, you were always aiming for the truth in your cases, in your life, even in your friends. You were lucky. You could easily discern the truth in people. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same talent as yours. I couldn't find you out because I was… so naive... You have lied to me with… your friendship… How could you…? Were our years of friendship… a complete lie? Was that why you… killed me over your trickery?_ "

"… I didn't…"

" _The old times… I trust the old you, Apollo… like when my mother died, you came to me. You made me a better person… We grew up together… We did tricks to other people together… We studied together… We got drunk together… We hanged out together… We lived our dreams together… I still believe… all of these were the truth…_ "

Wholly overpowered, with his determination entirely gone from his spirits, Apollo still extraordinarily managed to straighten his back and legs, feeling the bottom of his throbbing spine that was still hurting from his fall earlier. However, he wouldn't look at his friend, especially when the only glare he was getting from the deceased one was the need for revenge mixed with a lot of wretchedness.

Watching Apollo in total defeat seemed to bring back another gratified grin upon Clay.

"Clay…" Apollo miserably pled, looking to the side as he passed his hands through his hair. "I'm still… your best friend… Please believe me…"

Like a shining miracle falling upon them from the sky…

…this time, Clay looked at Apollo with some concern. In the end, the ghost's impish expression slowly turned into a more compassionate visage.

When his grey pupils returned to their living sky color, Clay appeared to be crying of… bliss.

"… _I'm glad you're saying that, Apollo…_ "

When he listened to what his friend had just said, Apollo's heartbeat fastened with something that seemed like… joy and relief. He finally looked back at Clay, unable to contain the pleased smile that was materializing on his face. Was Clay truly glad that Apollo was still his best friend?

"R… Really?" Apollo mustered, his voice still trembling from the hope he was feeling over his friend's fate.

Clay gently approached the living one. Inexplicably, the air around was suddenly warmer. It seemed Apollo was right after all!

" _Yes… I'm glad…_ "

The breeze was now colder and the grey pupils returned.

"… _because…_ "

Clay's right hand gripped onto the knife in his chest.

"… _I believe…_ "

Apollo's eyes widened when the knife promptly made its way deep…

"… _in you…_ "

… in his own chest.

For a second, Apollo examined the blade that quickly sank deeper inside him. A loud, agonising scream echoed in the dark room as the man fell back to the ground like a dull rock, not being able to get back on his feet. He desperately clutched onto the weapon, feeling the pain furthermore whenever the knife slightly moved or when his unsteady, bloodied fingers touched the weapon. He bent aimlessly around, curling inward and outward on the floor, leaving dark red trails all around him.

The awful shrieks lingered when Apollo gathered up all his remaining strengths to attempt at removing the blade from his excruciating wound. However, with each millimeters of the knife resurfacing from his flesh, more blood streamed out, causing the enduring life from him leaving his body faster than it should.

Then, he couldn't scream anymore. No voice was able to form when all of his vitality was leisurely fading like a burning candle.

When his sight blurred into a cloudy view around him, he could only stare above with his entire back flat on the floor, not moving any longer. In the haze of the moment, he could hear the lighter powering up along the image of the light above, very close to his head. Behind the light, he recognized Clay's silhouette floating comfortably, still firmly holding that accursed evidence that had sealed the real murderer away.

Clay was still smiling over his friend's upcoming _final_ destiny like the phantom must have done with him a month ago.

" _Now that you'll be on the other side with us, we'll have all the time it will take to forgive you for my murder. Isn't that great, Apollo? Together, we'll be able to revive our old times, like the best friends we were. We'll be reconciled, for eternity._ "

Despite his dying state, Apollo couldn't unlock his glance away from the ghost's sight that was shifting back to a more serene expression. The living one's eyes tightened into fear and worry, realizing he had been stabbed by his own friend in the exact way he had been killed. Was he going to suffer the same fate for a crime he had never committed?

"C… Cl… Claayyy…" Apollo tried to assemble back his coherent, clear vocal chords to call the specter.

Still keeping his peaceful air, Clay's was starting to calmly vanish into the air as he floated higher, disappearing with the lighter and bringing back the total darkness into the room. When his illusion projection faded into nothingness, his following words died along. Apollo was able to make out every words, though.

" _She and I shall be waiting for you… Welcome back, Apollo…_ "

Wait.

"Sh… She…?"

Apollo closed his heavy lids before he could combine his thoughts together from what Clay had just said.

* * *

He woke up.

With his stinging eyes wide open, he turned his head around, looking above him, breathing deeply like he had been running a marathon for hours. He went after his forehead wiping the torrent of sweat that sluggishly flowed to the sides. His hot face was burning like he had the worst flu ever with a sore, wet throat as he tried to gasp for air.

He appeared to be laying on his back, in the same room he had been, and the blackout was still surrounding the place.

Apollo sighed of relief. It was only a nightmare! Nevertheless, what had he been doing in this position upon waking up? What had happened to cause him drifting away from consciousness anyway?

He didn't kill Clay of course! The Phantom, the real murderer, never wore a mask of him! Clay will still be able to remain in peace in the afterlife! How convenient for both of them!

Despite the nearly total darkness of the place, he had to find Trucy!

Yet, when he tried to call for her, his voice felt extremely weak and hoarse. And when he attempted to get up, a distressing, killing pain was jamming him in this lying pose, unable to see anything around him except the ceiling and his left and right. When he laid a hand on his chest, he could perfectly feel it.

That accursed knife and the blood pouring out. They were still present.

So everything was… real…? Clay… killed him? For revenge?

When the awful agony of the stabbing was quickly coming back to him, Apollo completely lost his will to fight against the wound and even move at all. He apprehended he was going to leave this world very soon, even if help was to come now. But… no… What will Trucy feel when she'll see him in that condition? The poor girl, she was probably still in this room and she'll be going to have nightmares forever…

Wait… if people will find them both, Trucy will undoubtedly be the main suspect for this murder.

Please, let his fate be more merciful by allowing him to stay longer in this world… Then he would at least tell others that his dear virtuous young friend had nothing to do with his imminent death.

His breaths were gradually dying out as they got slower and heavier. Instinctively, he tried to moan words to worsen the pain and thus waste his lasting energy so he could simply put his unbearable torment to rest faster. No, it was futile trying to grip onto his life any longer. Anyhow, Mr. Wright and Athena will be there to save Trucy and prove her innocent. Perhaps, this declining thought will allow him to partially forever sleep in peace.

 _Little Polly…_

…

Where did that new voice calling him come from?

That soft, divine feminine voice… She called him "Polly", but that didn't sound like Trucy at all. His eyes were wandering around until they were set on a brighter pink light on the side which appeared to be the source of the voice, standing close to his head. Soon, the silhouette of a young woman holding a cute bubble-like parasol molded within the light with some soothing butterflies flying around. Her beautiful, long red hair were gently dancing around the breeze and her piercing brown pupils were directed into Apollo's.

She looked so much like an angel from the sky. Was she here to collect his spirit so she could lead him on his road to the afterlife?

"W… Who…?" the dying man weakly muttered to the girl.

Upon looking at the wounded boy, the serene angel gently bent over him, lightly turning him to the side so he could have an easier look on her. Mildly, the young woman rested her cold, soft hand on his face, kindly caressing his cheeks. This actually comforted Apollo's mind and he wished he could hold her for more coziness, but he was unable to move a muscle, save for his slow vanishing gasps.

" _You look confused, poor thing,_ " the angel gently consoled the man, nearly crying for his soon-to-come doom. " _Does it hurt? Aww, but don't worry, my little man. I'll be here for you. Soon, you'll feel no pain anymore when you'll come with us, forever._ "

With… _us_?

Was she the one Clay mentioned when he spoke of the other "she"?

Even in his dying breath, the curiosity was overtaking him, but only silence was able to emerge from his throat when he tried to ask her questions. Instead, a cold jolt froze his veins with the girl's next revelation.

" _I assure you, little boy. Clay is not the one who killed you._ "

Apollo quickly blinked few times before he achieved to murmur a word as a response. "W… Wha…?"

" _Tee hee... You want… revenge, don't you? On your murderer,_ " the girl softly laughed, still doing the calming caresses on Apollo's agonising face. " _Of course, you want revenge. After all, you fought for the innocents, and you are innocent of all crimes._ "

The angel looked up, smirking, and suddenly, Apollo could see a flash of the devil into her bright brown eyes, but they soon drifted back to the glance of innocence with a weep coming along. When a terrified rush ran through his nerves, the angel smiled. " _How convenient for you, my dear little boy, I saw everything. I saw that little ungrateful, horrid girl using her magic trickeries, a cheap projected illusion of your dear friend. I saw her plunge that dreaded knife into you._ "

Magic trickeries…? A cheap projected… illusion?

Who could have done this to him? Whomever was that girl speaking and giving him warmth, she… couldn't be lying. No angel could lie…

"Who…" Apollo weakly demanded. He wanted a name… A name he will remember for… revenge, a name he shall eternally bring with him in his coffin.

This time, the girl's serene smile changed into an evil grin as she murmured the killer's name.

" _Wright._ "

When the name fell into his willing ears, the light abruptly revealed back with life in the room and the entire building. He heard the machines and the activity coming back into the place but the angel had vanished with the current, much to his dismay. How he wished so much more of the girl's presence for calming him, for giving him the truth…

Yet none of that mattered to him anymore soon.

What mattered was the very sight of a girl with a top hat on her head crouched before him. Her gloved hands were touching the knife handle that was sticking out of his chest.

Apollo looked directly into the girl's pupils as she opened them wide with horror, the glint of her eyes glistening with sudden tears.

So… she was his killer.

"T…Truc… cy… W…Wr…"

Drawing his last breath, Apollo was never able to complete his murderer's name when the last of his clinging life had finally left the world for good.


	4. A Memory from the Past

_I'm kind of unhappy with how the writing went on this chapter, but… yeah. :/_

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom owns them._

 **Chapter 4: A Memory from the Past**

Date: January 31th 2028, 5:49 PM  
Place: Cosmos Space Center, Boarding Lounge

 _Please Daddy… Save Polly…_

… Why…?

Why did Trucy ask him to _save_ Apollo when he was already gone?

…

"So this is the very place where A-Apollo had met his d-death…" Athena nervously mourned. "…How ironic it is to die in the very same place where his best friend had been k-killed in the very same way."

Crouching over bloodied traces and the outline that was left on the floor to mark how the body had been found, Athena had to retain herself to not let the tears fall down on the lines. She had seen stains and these white tapes so often during her past investigations. Still, it was so hard to imagine these had taken the shape of her cherished partner and friend, as if Apollo was reduced to these white stripes.

She had to let her late friend on the side and return back to the investigation. They had to save Trucy from this false accusation! There was no way she could murder Apollo!

Trying to remain formal, Phoenix mentioned more facts about the crime scene. "They couldn't find the reason why the current went off and why the generators never took over. The current came back around fifteen minutes later after it was out. It took about five minutes later before some workers entered the boarding lounge."

"According to the workers who found the scene, Trucy was curled into a ball in a corner, far away from Apollo and refusing to leave his body from her sight. She was profusely crying over his death. She had his blood all over her gloves and some stains found their way on her clothes. A knife was found with the blade half-way into Apollo's chest. Only his fingerprints were found on the knife handle. The autopsy report confirmed that he died from the blood loss but he was still alive when Trucy found him."

"Trucy apparently woke up few seconds before the light came back, saying something cold had hit her on the back of her head, giving her an awful headache that day. The reason Trucy had her hands on the weapon according to her was that she could actually distinguish Apollo dying on the floor in the darkness, thanks to the window light and another mysterious floating light. She went to reach for the knife to instinctively take it off, but when she touched the weapon, the lights came back to life."

Time had stopped for few seconds before Athena spoke. "Mysterious… floating light?"

Phoenix bit his lips with his next reveal. "Trucy told me before you came in the detention center. The light was… pink-ish, not too bright, and it stood between her and Apollo. She wasn't sure herself, but it might have been an illusion, you know, like when you're in total darkness and you start seeing weird colors. She begged me that she heard the light spoke some muffled words and Apollo appeared to be answering it."

"Both might have been delirious, with the headache Trucy received and Apollo losing his mind to the fatal blood loss."

When he finished speaking, Phoenix sighed and remained thoughtful of what he had just been saying. He didn't believe it himself when he realized he had commented on the crime so formally it was like he was a simple detective doing his work, remaining strict to his investigation.

Athena still heard the discord in her boss's heart, however, but she stayed calm for his sake. This event had probably been harder on him than herself.

"Poor Trucy," Athena added. "It must have been so hard to find a loved one killed… and poor Apollo too. Why would someone want him gone? He was such a nice person…"

Another sigh left Phoenix after hearing Athena's statements. "We had convicted many criminals, Athena. We have enemies."

Putting a finger over her lips, mindful, Athena looked up like she was trying to find an answer to her boss's comment. However, she gathered she had never really been studying much of Apollo's past cases before she became part of their team. Who exactly from his cases could have truly wanted him dead? She heard of his past teacher and mentor, but he was currently in confinement, awaiting his execution. "I wonder if it's someone related to our Phantom," she commented.

"It's… a possibility," Phoenix added.

Before leaving the lounge to return back to the agency, Phoenix set the numeric camera he had bought for Trucy earlier this week for investigation purposes with Apollo. It felt so weird using his daughter's gift to investigate the murder of the one she wanted to accompany as an assistant. Needless to say she will never be able to use it how she wanted to. After finishing taking pictures of the room and all pieces of evidences they found, Phoenix readied himself to make his leave with Athena.

This trial wasn't going to be easy for sure. No other direct witnesses, suspects or anyone else had been found in this room aside from his daughter and the one he wished he could have called his son. Losing Apollo from his life was like having part of his heart taken away, and he started losing hope against the prosecutor he had yet to face as they lacked of conclusive evidences. That new opposite lawyer will probably use this to their advantages and do anything to convict Trucy just to get another flawless victory in their count.

Maybe that was what the real murderer was truly after: to destroy the great Phoenix Wright himself with his crushed fame and his devastated family.

When Phoenix had stopped thinking about everything, he now grasped Athena had already reached the door leading to the exit. "Boss? You seem to be in deep thought!" Athena cried out to him, leaning on her hand as it set on the door frame. "I'll go ahead; I'll be waiting in the agency."

Gently squinting his eyes, Phoenix watched as Athena disappeared behind the wall and the sliding door. He sighed, completely devastated over the murder event. He had tried to keep his cool nature before his pupil, but right now, alone in this room, he started leaving out small sobs, then some greater weeps. Phoenix had hardly cried in his life, but he felt it was the time to let the emotions flow back to his soul. Somehow, this move reassured his spirits, but he knew this won't bring Apollo back or help Trucy get her non-guilty verdict.

Athena was right. Who'd want to hurt Trucy and Apollo?

Yes, they had convicted countless criminals. However, that was exactly because of that: they were criminals, they deserved their sentences!

But the siblings… they would never hurt a fly.

Nearly glad that Athena had gone back to the agency without him (or else she'll see his ranging emotions), he sat on one of those high-tech chairs in the room, relaxing his feelings for a moment. Nostalgically, he browsed through all the pictures Trucy had shot with her camera, all from within a week prior to the fateful day.

For a while, Charley the plant became the main subject of her photo sessions. Of course, it was the easiest living thing to be photographed since it won't be complaining at all. Sometimes, Phoenix himself was appearing, and other times Trucy shot herself some abnormal selfies where she'd make that disgusting duck face or some funny and adorable grimaces.

Then over there, Apollo stood with the girls all awkwardly as they forced him to stand still for the shot, much to his disagreement. Amusingly, from the very subtle smirk he was giving on all the pictures he was in, he didn't appear to dislike these photo sessions that much. The poor man, he was probably trying to hide his amusement over these childish situations. To Phoenix, Apollo might still be a child despite his maturity.

He didn't know how long his browsing session had lasted, but he had now reached these creepy investigating pictures he wished he couldn't look at anymore.

However, something caused Phoenix to jump upon looking at the camera to the point he dropped it. Thankfully, he caught it with his hands in time before it touched the floor.

Carefully replacing the camera between his fingers, he glanced back at the device screen. Right on the first investigation picture, over the white lines where the body had been found…

…Apollo was there, crouched all over it in the same pose, with the same bloodied knife wound on his chest and with the same frightening, dead expression.

Wait a minute! How exactly was that possible? Apollo's body had already been sent to the forensic scientists! His body's presence in this picture was a contradiction itself! Panicked, Phoenix turned his sight to where the white outlines were still drawn over the floor, but there was no one there!

Gathering his courage to look back at the picture he had taken, Phoenix scrutinized every peculiar details he could find in it.

He indistinctly saw it: behind Apollo, or rather, _through_ him, the floor tiles and the dried blood were still visible.

No, it couldn't be… Was it really… his ghost?

Nervously, Phoenix started looking at other pictures from today's investigation. Most of the pictures were generic ones with nothing standing out, but again, he noticed another strange picture with pale red and blue blurs passing directly in front of the device lens.

Then he clearly saw it again. In another picture…

Two distinct silhouettes, one in faint red and the other blue, were sitting right where he was currently staying, in front of the digital projection. They were watching the screen, each holding the other's shoulders like two amicable brothers enjoying their friendship and the scenery of this imaginary digital world.

Apollo and Clay?

Phoenix believed in ghosts. Of course, he had seen them himself, but the last time he had encountered one was during that trial almost nine years ago, when the vicious spirit of his former… girlfriend had left his assistant's body. Never again he wished to see them and especially not… her.

 _Oh, Feenie…_

When he heard the calling, he was suddenly beginning to breath cold, freezing air. Phoenix shivered to the haunting, yet gentle voice that had called him, begging him to look around to find its source.

Phoenix didn't even have the time to browse through all pictures when the darkness slowly engulfed the atmosphere of this room. The man blinked his eyes endlessly, wondering what was currently going on. It sure didn't look like a blackout; the lights would have died more quickly. When the lightness had completely disappeared, the only thing he could see around was… himself, mysteriously.

He stood up, wandering around as his arms aimlessly travelled their path before him, trying to find his way in this darkness. When he called for someone, the only things replying to his calls were some echoes of his own. Walking around, wishing for someone to find him, more breezes went through his self. He shuddered to the cold wind. The lounge was supposed to be an enclosed room; no wind should find access inside!

The horror suddenly hit him hard when he heard some steps approaching him. The closer they got, the brighter a feeble, very pale pink light appeared in front of him, soon taking a human shape.

Was that… the same light Trucy mentioned?

 _Tee hee…_

No way… Phoenix would recognize that laugh everywhere.

That was when the light shifted itself into a beautiful, angelic young woman he wished he could forget about, but after all these years, he had never succeeded to wholly throw her memory away.

After all, she was his past, darling _girlfriend_.

"Dollie…" Phoenix murmured with a frown.

The nickname had resurfaced so naturally to him like he had never been separated from the girl he remembered as Dahlia Hawthorne, a name that would forever haunt the very core of his heart. When he could finally see the full details on the divine ghost before him, Phoenix juddered to the awful, dark bruises around her neck stained on her pure, seemingly soft and pale eerie skin. Of course, he had been told her hanging execution didn't look exactly… pleasant to the eyes. Even beyond death, she appeared condemned to eternally bear these traces of tight ropes that ended her life. Despite all, Dahlia, his _Dollie_ , was offering him a gentle smile and a clean, innocent sight, the same ones she would always wear over her purely evil character, the one she managed to hide for so long from everyone.

What was she doing in the Space Center of all places?

Phoenix didn't want to waste any moment with her. She didn't deserve any sympathy or time, from him or anyone else.

"Did you kill him?" Phoenix asked the spirit, straight as an arrow. He had seen everything, and a mere ghost will definitely not scare him.

The phantom, however, didn't flinch to the man's reaction, but she gave an answer as straight to his question, yet a confusing one.

" _Maybe._ "

Phoenix held his breath before he countered. "If you didn't, then you must be involved."

Dahlia softly laughed. " _Maybe I am, maybe not,_ " she derisively replied.

" _Even if I am, it doesn't change the fact that your dear daughter Trucy is on death row._ "

Phoenix's pulses had stopped cold when he listened to Dahlia's words. As his eyes opened up with dreadfulness when he realized the two words "Trucy" and "death" fell together in the same sentence so efficiently, his lips trembled. No, he couldn't let himself defeated by this spirit!

Keeping his composure, he spoke back. "Trucy's not convicted yet. She's no killer and I'm going to prove it."

This time, a louder laugh escaped from the ghost. " _Really, Feenie. Trucy's not a killer? You shouldn't trust your rightful heart too much._ "

" _Even your own dearest protégé Apollo was mature and bright enough to realize it, unlike you._ "

A jolt ran through Phoenix's spine at the name, but the surrounding worsened when he noticed two more lights appearing before him, each on the two sides of the devil herself. As they altered into more recognizable forms, some tiny frightened tears shined through his eyes.

On Dahlia's left and right were standing Apollo and Clay, both coldly looking straight into Phoenix's wide stare. To his panic, unlike on his former darling girl, there was not a single sheer of emotion visible on their glare like the malicious girl was having absolute control over them. Not once they blinked with their lids, fully revealing their pale, ethereal pupils that seemed to have long lost their effervescence. Their lips were jammed into an eternal, impassible frown. Their fallen hair were dancing over their head like lifeless tattered clothes.

Like a cold spectacle, both spirits shared a horrid, huge dark red stain with a knife in the middle, halfway into their seemingly fleshing chest…

The wind got much colder with their presence, too.

Completely satisfied by watching her cherished _Feenie_ gasping with fear when seeing her two male companions, Dahlia went to give her attention over her spooky brunette. " _My beloved little Apollo,_ " the soft voice from the fallen angel spoke. " _You saw everything, didn't you? Answer me this, then: who killed you?_ "

Listening to the young woman's cold question, Apollo unhurriedly raised his head. He kept his glare on his worried mentor as his eyes intensified furthermore with a barely visible sadness. Surprisingly, without a mere struggle to fight against the girl's power over him, he obeyed and gave an answer.

"… _Trucy… Wright…_ "

That… couldn't be Apollo speaking… His voice sounded so dead, so cold… Where were his proud Chords of Steel? A gentle but mocking laugh interrupted Phoenix from his thoughts.

" _Tee hee! There, aren't you happy, Feenie? You've got your final answer._ "

"N-No…" Phoenix murmured to himself as he clutched his head between his hands forcefully, not daring to look at his late student. When he freed his head from his palms, he eyed back the dead one with a firmer, desperate tone. "Apollo… please, you can't say that! Trucy would never kill you! She really looked up to you, you know?"

"You were a dearest… big _brother_ to her!"

That was when he saw it; that evil, haunting feeble smile on Apollo as his glare took a more sinister appeal. For a flash of a second, his sight felt… alive, but the reply he gave his old boss would send all of his hairs to rise up with quivers.

"… _You… You're lying, Mr. Wright..._ "

Was Apollo… actually using his power on him, even beyond the living world? Phoenix didn't lie about his reveal. However, whenever the subject of their blood relation came, he'd feel tense.

And that was probably the same tension Apollo felt, which he must have interpreted as a lie...

"Dahlia!" Phoenix harshly began, returning his focus back on the girl. He won't call her by her sweet nickname again. "You are manipulating him!"

" _Oh, am I now?_ " Dahlia snickered. " _All I did was confirming what my little Apollo saw. I told my dear Clay the truth too. Because they were so glad that I told them the truth, they are now following me in this eternity. I don't mind the company of two cute young men: it's so lonely to the other side … In fact, I'm actually enjoying their presence!_ "

So she was really manipulating them… that hateful witch!

"W-Why are you doing this Dahlia?" the man yelled out. "These two innocent kids got nothing to do with you!"

" _Perhaps, but they've got something to do with_ _ **you**_ _, Feenie, and you've got something to do with_ _ **her**_ _._ "

So Phoenix was right after all.

" _Even this cute astronaut… he's friend with your ward, making him part of your concern too._ "

" _I'm doing this because I'm a very vengeful spirit, really. I was sent to die because of you and your disgusting ideals. You and your hateful mentor_ _ **Mia Fey**_ _… How dare you both humiliate me in court like that? How dare you tell me how much of a failure I am?_ "

" _And here I'm watching you crumble as you're losing your fame, your pride, your life. I could have killed you, right here, but I'm enjoying your miserable despair even more. Yes, of course, you are so desperate to save everyone, and yet you can't even save your own daughter when even her dear 'brother', the one she killed, blames her for his murder. Isn't that sad? You can't save the dead_ _ **and**_ _the living anymore. You can't save Clay, you can't save Apollo, you can't save Trucy._ "

" _Revenge is so sweet, Feenie._ "

" _Don't you think so, little Polly, little Clay?_ "

The poignant, sad smiles came back on the two innocent spirits, both giving another intense stare on Phoenix as he made a step back away from them, shivering from the nightmare he was living. What had gotten himself anyway? Maybe none of this was real… Maybe he was actually dreaming! He must be speaking with mere illusions!

Watching with satisfaction as Phoenix fell on his knees and leaned against his palms on the floor, Dahlia raised her hands toward her two men, giving them the order to leave. Apollo and Clay slowly nodded before they obeyed, returning back to the darkness where they now belonged, disappearing in the air.

Suddenly the ambience felt warmer with the two boys gone.

Smoothly, Dahlia made few steps forward her former boyfriend before she bent closer to him, reaching for his cheeks with her icy hands to raise his head. Her freezing fingers caused him to wince, but he couldn't move and take his eyes away from the fallen angel, remembering all the great memories he had shared with her… Wait, no! That wasn't even her back in the days! It was… her twin sister Iris, not Dahlia…

Why did he still find her eyes so… enthralling?

" _You know, there's something really great I need to share with you now that my two men are gone,_ " Dahlia began, always with her soft voice.

" _It's funny how naive people become just before they die. You can make them believe anything. Thanks to that, Clay believed Apollo killed him when it really was an international spy who did the deed. Yet, Clay trusted in his old friendship with Apollo so much that he forgave him already, pretty rare for a vengeful spirit. However, Apollo doesn't seem to be forgiving Trucy any time soon. How easy it was to convince him of lies when the real one who killed him was his own best friend._ "

" _You see, Phoenix Wright? I can make my men believe in anything, but don't worry. Apollo and Clay seem to be in good care under me and they enjoy my company like I enjoy theirs._ "

" _So there, now enjoy the rest of your life knowing that your protégé Apollo and his innocent best friend Clay completely lost faith in you and will follow the nefarious witch that I am until the end of time. Know that as a living one, you can't save both of them from my grasp. Know that your daughter Trucy has been ruined since the day her brother was murdered. Even if she doesn't get the death penalty for the murder she never committed, she'll rot in prison until her life ends. After all, who would ever believe you when you'll tell the audience that a ghost was the one responsible for the murder? But of course, you'll become the laughing stock of the law world._ "

" _That's right, Mia would be so proud of you._ "

"… Boss?"

" _There, there, Feenie. It's okay to cry. You've got nothing left anyway._ "

"Boss?! What's the matter?!"

" _Here, let me cuddle you…_ "

* * *

Date: January 31th 2028, 6:35 PM  
Place: Cosmos Space Center, Boarding Lounge

Athena raised a hand high before her palm ferociously caught itself on Phoenix's face, making a loud slapping sound. Upon the sudden physical contact, the man widely opened his eyes with a jump, shaking his head left and right to find out what exactly transpired. As he clutched his hands to his chest, feeling every strong, fast beats from his mad heart, he started breathing hard. Soon, he ceaselessly rubbed his eyes until he could see from his point of view the form of a girl wearing yellow before him. When she became clear enough, the relief came back on Phoenix, recognizing his other pupil, Athena.

"Huuh… Athena?!" Phoenix mumbled out. "What are you doing here?"

The young girl put her hands on her hips, her eyes showing signs of worry but also annoyance. "I've been waiting you for a long while, boss!"

Phoenix scrubbed his eyes again before quickly blinking few times. "I-I thought you'd be waiting in the agency!"

"But I thought it was rude to leave you behind, so I decided to wait behind the door of the lounge," Athena sighed with a shrug. "However, I heard odd sounds and you were stuttering incoherent words so I came back here. And there, I saw you dozing off! You must have been dreaming!"

Embarrassed, Phoenix scratched the back of his neck with a slight grin. "I'm sorry, Athena. I didn't want to make you wait. Let's go back to the agency; we're going to give further inspection into our evidences."

The man stood back straight on his feet, following Athena as she led the way to the exit. He remembered hearing the rumors on-going about a ghost wandering around since Clay's death, but he had never imagined it could have gone like this. Such horror, such sadness. The eyes both young men expressed when they intensely glared at him… They were so miserable and vengeful at the same time.

Never he'll be able to forget their everlasting fate. Apollo and Clay will be drifting forever in the darkness of an unknown dimension between the reality and the afterlife, strings seemingly attached to their limbs with that vile witch controlling them. Trying to contain this thought aside, he wondered if his friend Maya will be able to help somehow. After all, the Fey family were skilled with the spirits of the deceased.

But Dahlia knew of the Fey tricks. She was part of their family too, in fact.

Was there… any hope?

Maybe that was what Trucy meant when she asked her father to "save Polly".

"Boss! You are dozing off again!"

Athena's cry pulled him out from his trance once again, and somehow, this gave him a slight smile. At least that girl was still on his side and he'd do anything to keep her away from death and these ghosts, at least for the time being.

Right now, he needed her so they could both focus on saving Trucy with their legitimate methods.

"Thank you, Athena…"

The End

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_ _: This fic is much longer than I anticipated. Formerly a one-shot, but I'm not sure people like reading 30 pages in one go, so I split it. I also got the idea of this fic during one PM session I had with the author_ _ **THE real assistant**_ _(who also has awesome stories, go check them out!). Yet, this cheesy story will probably be my last "supernatural" story for a while since I'm more a "family/friendship/cute/humor" genre author, which will be my next story idea (if I ever finish it)._

 _Forth serious story that I've ever finished writing. Yay. Actually, an_ _ **extra ending**_ _is coming up, tomorrow, hopefully._

 _Criticism are welcomed as I'm striving to get better in English._ :)


	5. Extra End: Sweet, Sweet Revenge

_**Disclaimer:**_ _I do not own Ace Attorney and its characters. Capcom own them._

 **Extra Ending: Sweet, Sweet Revenge**

"…"

"Hey Apollo, I'd tell you to not look too sad because we all die one day, but… Hey, chin up, bro!"

From the darkness of the dead realm, witnessing the scene under him and ignoring his friend, Apollo intensely gazed at the events occurring in the world of the living, watching as Phoenix left the boarding lounge with Athena.

"Heh, I miss my life," Apollo spoke back to Clay. "You shouldn't have killed me, buddy."

To this, a shameful Clay scratched the back of his neck with a sulk. "I'm sorry, Apollo. That spy was really wearing a mask of yours… and yeah… Aside, I didn't really kill you… Yeah I wanted 'revenge', but… I'd never kill you! Dahlia was the one who took my appearance in the last second and did the deed while I was speaking to you… Remember that ghosts can take the shape of anything, really…"

A sigh emerged from Apollo, but he smiled back at his friend. "It's… fine," the deceased lawyer unhappily replied. "You couldn't know. Also, I'm used to the afterlife now, and I'm taking a liking into this new world."

Clay snickered along. "Yeah, it's not too bad. Of course, we're all going to live in this world forever one day, so I'm glad this world is fun to live in!"

A little exhausted over his friend's enthusiast, Apollo discreetly shook his head. "Hey Clay, how long are we going to keep up with this charade? I mean, to Dahlia? She still believes she has total control over us."

Clay burst out laughing. "Wait until just before the verdict for Trucy's innocence!" the late astronaut answered with a large grin that could nearly take over the whole length of his face. "Then we'll watch as Dahlia crumbles again when Mr. Wright wins against her! Then we'll stop our acting and we'll have a good vengeful laugh at her!"

Not sure what to think about Clay's odd trick, Apollo's fingers gently fiddled with his falling hair which had now lost their cute antennas look. "Well, I'm looking forward seeing Dahlia fail again," the young lawyer admitted. "But I'm tired of this joke. We both look like her mindless sex slaves who'd do anything to please her, and it's kinda embarrassing. Just look at Mr. Wright when he watched me accusing Truce… What will he think about me? And what about his feelings over his daughter and basically… everything else?"

"It's okay, buddy, I assure you," Clay replied with a friendly pat on Apollo's shoulders. "As Dahlia said herself, revenge is sweet, and by watching her being a failure again, this will be the best revenge for us, Mr. Wright, Trucy and that Athena too! And by making you accuse Trucy, yeah, Mr. Wright will be super sad and all, but trust me. After the verdict, he'll be so relieved about his life that he'll love her even more! The tie between the family members and friends will be even tighter! And everyone will be happy for them! Except Dahlia, of course!"

"Yeah, Dahlia shall be worthy of her own wall of fail!" Clay persisted. "She thinks her plans to crush the almighty Phoenix Wright will succeed? Nope. She thinks her plan to shatter his family is well calculated? Nope. She thinks she's special for having special powers to have absolute control over us? Nope, nope, nope!"

"OBJECTION! But she still killed me!" Apollo protested with mortification.

The awkward silence that followed lasted about ten seconds before Clay replied. "Oh, yeah, sorry about that," the astronaut gulped, and to this, his friend slightly grinned back with confusion to reassure him.

"HOLD IT! B-But h-how do you suppose she killed me?" the lawyer questioned, needing to feed his curiosity for a flawless answer. "I mean, I thought ghosts can't kill the living ones! If they could, everyone on this Earth would have died already!"

Pensive, Clay rested his fingers on his chin, his eyes clinging above. "Actually, I'm not sure about that," he responded. "I think that… you know, since you were in a confusion state, she kinda possessed your body more easily, and she made you take a knife and… there."

"Suicide, huh? All right, but I can't remember any of this! And you said she took your appearance to kill me!" Apollo loudly objected with a pointed finger at him.

"Yeah! She kinda projected my appearance when she possessed you! You were in a confused state, remember! Now I'm confusing myself…"

"Oh… Well, in the end, it's forced suicide…" Apollo sadly rejected from his lips.

No words were exchanged for a minute.

"Also, how do you think Mr. Wright will prove Truce's innocence?" the brunette shattered the uncomfortable silence he had caused.

Clay gave away a wider grin. "Don't worry, Apollo. I have a plan."

Upon hearing the word "plan", Apollo raised a curious eyebrow at him. "You have a plan?"

"Yeah, to help Mr. Wright get Trucy her non-guilty verdict! You remember when I told you I met Mr. Wright's old mentor not long after your death? That was what she told me: to help Mr. Wright all we'll have to do is to contact the Fey family, and then-"

Apollo's hand abruptly interrupted Clay's comment when he firmly put it over his mouth. "Shh! Don't speak about it now!" the young lawyer ordered as he turned his head toward a certain direction. "Dahlia's coming back! We must return to this slave act at once!"

Clay giggled. He'd been playing this slave act longer than Apollo, so he had been used to this. "Hehe, gotcha, Herr Forehead!" Clay exclaimed with much eagerness before he returned to his soulless act with his slow paced zombified voice. "Let's… do… this… A… Apooollooooo…"

Dahlia smiled when she watched her two men as they glanced at her, their dark face completely lacking of emotions, outwardly waiting for any order she'll be giving them like they were her two completely loyal dogs.

Apollo and Clay were so grateful she was such a failure at life (and death) at reading their tiny smirk on the side of their lips.

* * *

And thus, Trucy got her non-guilty verdict in court thanks to Clay's plan with the Fey family and Phoenix's and Athena's defending talents. From her afterlife, Dahlia screamed and went wild as she watched the two lawyers foiled her plans once again. As expected, Apollo's and Clay's silly and muffled laughs echoed forever into Dahlia's annoyed soul as they left her to experience their own eternal lives toward their happy, magic friendship. Dahlia's enraged soul ordered them to come back, but all that welcomed her were more savage laughers from them. She shrieked to the very core of her devil soul as her mind wittered away for perpetuity in her new lonely everlasting afterlife.

Soon after the trial, more strange paranormal activities occurred in the Space Center. New rumors were born about the old ghost of the place acquiring a new friend to play nasty, childish tricks to the visitors and tourists of the center. When Phoenix heard of the rumors, he warmly smiled.

And when she saw it from above, Mia smiled too.

Revenge was sweet, indeed.

The End…?

* * *

 _ **Author's note**_ _: Yes, another silly ending because it's my tradition to add a silly ending at the end of all my fanfics. I also have no idea what's Clay's and Mia's plan with the Fey family and how Phoenix and Athena won the trial. It's probably magic._

 _This extra ending is what I have in mind, but it can be anything. Dunno, maybe Phoenix fails to defend Trucy and she's on death row. Or she's proven innocent without any afterlife help, somehow. Or maybe Apollo and Clay are really controlled by Dahlia (how she got her control power is probably magic again). Yeah, I like bad endings too._

 _You can guess the moral of this story is that…_ _ **revenge is sweet**_ _. Doesn't mean it's a good thing, though, but damn,_ _ **how satisfying it is**_ _._


End file.
